There was a period in our economic development when we commonly used reusable containers to dispense such commonplace consumer products such as milk and petroleum products such as gasoline and oil. As our convenience became more important and technology permitted we turned to low cost disposable containers often utilizing plastic materials. This created a different problem, namely overloading landfills with plastic materials, bottles and cans that were often not biodegradable. The inconvenience and associated cost of disposal of disposable containers has led to the use of technology to develop machines for filling reusable containers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,818 is an example of a method and apparatus for refilling reusable containers that also summarizes the patent art prior to its filing date including U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,180,284, 4,007,462 and 3,711,683. The focus of these patents is on reading the bar code indicia on the label of the containers. Pub. No.: 2002/0066493 is another example of a machine for filling a reusable container but the emphasis is on filling a collapsible container with a single product from a single spout. U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,763 is still another example of a machine for filling a reusable container but the focus is on mixing ingredients and dispensing them through a single spout. U.S. Pat. No. 7,065,940 is focused on a delivery system for delivering bulk products ultimately to fill reusable containers but does not disclose how the vending machines employed actually function. While these patents all disclose useful technology for filling reusable containers, none of these patents disclose or suggest machines or methods for delivery of several different fluid products from a single machine to a reusable container using multiple spouts or spigots. More specifically, they do not disclose or suggest an apparatus or method for delivering multiple and different products without contamination by using multiple movable spouts.
Throughout this specification the words nozzle, faucet, spout and spigot are used interchangeably to signify a fixture suitable for delivering a fluid through a pipe or tube from a bulk container to the open top of a reusable container.
Most broadly, the present invention comprises a machine and a method for filling reusable containers having an open top with a fluid comprising                a. A plurality of movable spouts located in a rectangular pattern in the same plane,        b. A single station for positioning a reusable container securely, and        c. Control means for positioning one of the movable spouts over the open top of the container and filling the container with a selected quantity of a selected fluid.        